Tag Archives: IWWF World Championships

Regina Jaquess used the 34th Water Ski World Championships, which concluded yesterday in Chapala, Mexico, to stake her claim as the best female water skier of all time, taking home gold medals in both Women’s slalom and overall for the second championships in a row.

Jaquess’ third World Championships slalom gold moves her into a tie for the all-time record with Liz Allan, Cindy Todd and Helen Kjellander, while her fourth World overall title is the most ever by a female skier.

Jaquess headed into the slalom finals as the second seed, as a result of an uncharacteristic early fall at 39 off in the preliminaries. In the finals she put the pressure on top-seed Whitney McClintock with a score of 1 buoy at 41 off, tying the World Championships tournament record she set at the 2013 worlds. McClintock was not able to respond, as she finished with 2-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 off, giving Jaquess her second-consecutive slalom gold. Team GOODE’s Clementine Lucine tied Geena Krueger for third with 2 at 39, but Krueger emerged with the bronze after a run off.

Jaquess dominated Women’s Overall, topping silver-medal winner McClintock in slalom, tricks and jumping. Team GOODE skier Giannina Bonnemann signaled that she is a rising threat in overall, as the 21-year old earned the bronze for her first ever Worlds medal.

Photo courtesy Des Burke-Kennedy/IWWF.

In Men’s slalom Thomas Degasperi continued his impressive ability to rise to the occasion at World Championships, earning the silver medal with 2 buoys at 41 off. When combined with his golds in 2007 and 20011 and a silver in 2009, the medal is Degasperi’s fourth career Worlds medal, tying him with Will Asher and Simon Khoury for third on the all-time Men’s slalom list. Andy Mapple holds the career mark with 10 while Bob LaPoint sits in second with seven.

Nate Smith edged Degasperi for the gold with 2-1/2 buoys at 41 off, while Freddie Winter beat Joel Howley in a run off for the bronze. Degasperi, Winter and Howley all tied with 2 buoys at 41 off in the finals, with Degasperi earning the silver due to seedings after the preliminary round.

Llewellyn earns 9th World Overall medal

Photo courtesy Des Burke-Kennedy/IWWF.

Twenty-four years after earning his first Worlds overall medal in 1991, Team GOODE’s Jaret Llewellyn was once again on the overall podium at a World Championships.

Llewellyn earned the bronze in overall, providing invaluable team points for Canada on its way to the team overall title. The medal was Llewellyn’s ninth world overall medal, and 15th of his career across all three events.

Unfortunately, Llewellyn had a hard crash during the jumping finals, which, according to Facebook reports from his family, resulted in a broken femur. He remains in Mexico for surgery.

All of Team GOODE wishes Jaret a full and speedy recovery.

Youthful serves notice in slalom

While Jaquess and Degasperi continued to headline Team GOODE, the 2015 championships provided a glimpse into the future as a crop of new faces appeared in the slalom finals.

Martin Bartalsky, 27, finished ninth, and 19-year old up-and comer Brando Caruso finished 11th, while Benjamin Stadlbaur, 23, tied for the last spot in the finals but lost the runoff, ultimately finishing 13th.

This youthful showing helped Team GOODE place more skiers into the slalom finals than any other brand, and the continued excellence of Jaquess and Degasperi resulted in GOODE being the only ski company whose athletes won multiple slalom medals.